Just Pretend
by XxLynChanxX
Summary: AU- With Prom just around the corner, Abbey is convinced it's unimportant and decides not to go...until a certain hot-headed monster comes up with a great idea. Will they get caught in the moment, or is their prom really just pretend?


**~ Just Pretend ~**

_HEEEY guys! :D Yup! ANOTHER Habbey fic from me and Toni ^-^ What with prom is coming up... or... did it happen already? I have no idea XD But whatever, this fits in w/ the theme of it so... ENJOY! :D_

Senior Prom was just around the corner and every ghoul in school had a date. Frankie was going with Jackson thanks to some scary cool noise blocking headphones that kept him from becoming Holt, Draculaura was going with Clawd, Clawdeen was going with Toralei...even Spectra had a date. It seemed the only ghoul in the school who was going alone for Prom was Abbey.

Honestly, she didn't see the big deal in Prom. To her, it was just another school dance, but from what her friends were saying, it seemed like a huge deal...

Shaking her head, Abbey walked into home ick, where Heath Burns was flirting with a group of Vampire girls. He reached for one of the girls' hand, but she pulled away when his hand exploded in flames, causing the sprinkler system to go off.

"Class is canceled! The water will have damaged everything," the teacher cried, ushering everyone out of the room.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Heath exclaimed, as many students were yelling at him. "I'm sorry!"

Abbey smirked.

"Flame headed boy should keep himself under control." she muttered, as she couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of students all growling at Heath in pure frustration. Deuce Gorgon approached Heath, giving him a high-five for canceling class, then left the room and stopped in front of Abbey. She gave him a confused look.

"What you want from Abbey?" she asked.

"I've got a problem, and you're pretty direct about these things...which ghoul should I take to prom? Cleo was my girlfriend for a while but I always thought I had something with Operetta, but Rochelle is pretty cute too..."

"Abbey cannot help. I am growing bored of the topic of prom. Other things more important to Abbey than silly dance."

"Abbey..." Deuce laughed. "It's PROM.".

"And?" Abbey said, with a raised eyebrow. "Do not want to waste time with. Is unimportant.".

"Unimpor... Abbey, Prom's the biggest thing ever!" he replied. "How come you don't want to go?" Abbey turned away, embarrassment flushing her frozen cheeks.

"Not important. You would not care,"

"Come on, we're friends right? Why wouldn't I care?" Deuce turned Abbey back around and she looked down.

"Don't have date," she said quietly. "All my friends do, but I am not good with the flirting or the dating."

"If that's all, I can hook you up with someone. You have to go to prom."

"Do not want hookup. Want something real, with someone I care about, but only person Abbey likes is not liking Abbey in the same way."

Deuce raised an eyebrow.

"Who is it?" he inquired.

"Do not wish to tell anyone." Abbey said a hint of harshness in her voice.

"Sorry." Deuce muttered. Just as the bell rang, Abbey gave Deuce a nod.

"Class." she smiled. "Must go."

Heading off to Biteology, she wondered...Prom sounded pretty important, now that she thought about it... The only problem was a date, and that was something Abbey couldn't get easily. She supposed it was her fault, pushing the boy she liked away so many times, but Heath was just too hotheaded at times, and Abbey couldn't take that.

Mindlessly strolling into class, Abbey bumped into Cleo, who was glaring angrily at her iCoffin.

"He thinks he can do this after all we've been through? I was supposed to win prom queen with him as my king! Ghoulia, we need to do something about this!" Cleo was saying. Abbey pulled out her own iCoffin, where a new post from the ghostly gossip was flashing.

**DEUCE GORGAN ASKS ROCHELLE GOYLE TO PROM- THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ROMANCE, OR JUST A PITY DATE? MORE TO COME!  
**  
"Do you BELIEVE this?" Cleo spat, practically shoving the phone in Abbey's face. "He thinks he can just DUMP ME and go for that... that... BRICK!"

Abbey was on the verge of chuckling, but knew very well not to do so in front of Cleo. Especially when she was THIS mad.

"Do not see problem," she said with a shrug. "He find nice ghoul. You can find nice boy too."

Ignoring Abbey's comment, Cleo headed into the classroom, Ghoulia right on her heels with an expression that said 'Help me'. Abbey followed them, keeping far enough behind so she didn't have to listen to Cleo's ranting, and took her seat next to Frankie and Jackson.

"Hey Abbey! I can't wait for prom; I'm sparking at the bolts with..."

"Please no talk about prom." Abbey said sharply. Frankie looked slightly offended but changed the subject to the test grades she hoped to get back that day.

"Didn't Heath set a massive fire over here yesterday? What if the tests got destroyed?" Jackson asked, trying to peer into the back room at the cabinet where the tests were kept.

"He set the Study Howl room on fire, the tests should be fine. Besides, we all know you aced it anyway" Frankie kissed Jackson's nose, causing him to blush slightly. Abbey tried not to gag as she turned away.

'Why do ghouls bother with this... flirting?' she thought. 'And this... prom. What is big deal?'.

"Hey ghouls!" Draculaura beamed, giving her friends a wave as her, Clawdeen and Lagoona all sat next to Abbey and Frankie.

"Why's Abbey such a gloomy goddess?" Clawdeen whispered to Frankie as she instantly noticed her friend's expression. Frankie shrugged and leaned her head on Jackson's shoulder as he took notes on what was on the board. Being the only normie in the school, he was usually the one who tried the hardest.

There was a chorus of rings throughout the class and everyone pulled out their iCoffins to see another headline on the ghostly gossip.

**TOTAL CRUSH-ARAMA FOR A CERTAIN HOTHEADED MONSTER! WHICH GHOUL HAS FALLEN HEAD OVER HEELS? THIS REPORTER IS GOING TO FIND OUT, AND FAST!  
**  
Abbey felt like she had just frozen HERSELF. This was insanity. How did Spectra even find out? Shoving her phone back into her pocket, she tried to focus on the work.

TRIED. It was impossible when all her friends, and even Jackson, were whispering about Heath's supposed crush.

"Who could it be?" Frankie asked in a loud whisper.

"He's been flirting with those Belfry Prep girls for a while now," Jackson said, notes forgotten. "Maybe it's one of them."

"There's no way it's one of those snobs!" Clawdeen said. "It better not be Howleen. I wouldn't be able to walk these halls if it was my sister,"

"Maybe it's Venus," Draculaura suggested. "They were talking in Study Howl last week,"

"Yeah, but don't they avoid each other after what happened?" Lagoona asked. The ghouls all took a moment to remember the burn marks up and down Venus's arms after Heath tried flirting with her. Plants and Fire Elementals just didn't mix.

"Maybe it's..." Jackson began but Abbey snapped.

"Why it matter who like Heath? He just change interests every week. Best to leave it alone and see what ghost-girl says about it."

The ghouls looked at Abbey in shock. They knew she hated the topic, but she usually sat silently until the topic changed.

"Who gave you the cold shoulder?" Clawdeen laughed.

Rolling her eyes at the joke, Abbey shook her head.

"I am right though," she said, waving a finger. "Watch. It will be new girl next week. And week after that will be same.".

"I don't really know..." Frankie said, with doubt, looking down at her phone. "Spectra's never reported something this big before.".

"It could be Robecca..." Draculaura pointed out. "Aren't those two working on a Mad Science project together anyway?"?

"Ooh, they would be cute!" Clawdeen gushed. "I mean anything's better than my sister, but still!"

As the vamp and the wolf chattered on about that, Abbey took one more glance at her phone with only one thought on her mind.

'How did Spectra find out?'

~XoXo~

The next day, Abbey decided to take her own advice. Be direct. She approached Spectra that morning, not surprised to see that she was updating the gossip.

"Where you learn information on Heath?" she asked, glaring at the ghost.

"It was all he, Deuce, and Rochelle could talk about in Clawculus! Deuce told him to get a move on for the prom and Deuce said some ghoul was major crushing on him...Him being Heath that is! I'll bet my iCoffin it's Robecca. Working on a project with someone is a one way road to love!" Spectra trilled and swooped through the wall to her first class.

Abbey stared toward the wall and sighed. So someone having a crush on him was true...but that didn't mean it was Robecca...did it? Maybe Spectra was right. But she doubted it. After all, she wasn't an expert on love...An expert on...

That was it!

Shoving her books into her locker, Abbey texted no one other than Cupid herself.

If The Goddess Of Love couldn't figure out who it was, no one else could... right? Almost instantly, Abbey's phone beeped with a reply.

'Listen to the radio'

Abbey was confused for a second. How could a radio tell her who Heath was crushing on? Did that mean it WAS Robecca? The ghoul was made of metal after all...

From behind her, Abbey could hear Frankie and Draculaura listening to the radio show and Abbey face palmed. She wasn't supposed to listen to the radio; she was supposed to listen to the show!

"You listening to Cupid?" She asked her friends. Frankie nodded quickly.

"She's discussing how to tell if someone is crushing on you, or how to find out who's crushing on who. She said that she's trying to help an anonymous ghoul with a serious problem."

"Alright, monsters..." Cupid said in her calm, relaxing voice. "Most of you are crushing on someone, right? Prom is coming up..."

Prom. Abbey groaned at the word.

"And you're just DYING that you'll go with that special someone, but one problem. You don't know if they're interested. Some hints are..."

'Get to the point...' Abbey urged silently.

"Do they talk to you?"?

'No.' Abbey answered to herself.

"Do they often act shy around you? Or maybe even a showoff?".

'Shy, never. Showoff, yes.'.

"Or maybe they avoid you completely. THAT'S what I'm saying, monsters!" Cupid beamed with a laugh. "Sometimes that certain person DOES like you back! If so, they're most likely avoiding you because they're just too shy to say hi! Make the first move. Ask THEM out. Not so direct though... Be calm. Don't drop hints so quickly..."

Don't be direct? Abbey didn't understand. In her home country, you had to be direct or you wouldn't get a date anywhere. Then again, she wasn't the expert, Cupid was. If Cupid said not to be so direct, then Abbey would have to do just that.

"I must go now. Things to do." Abbey said to Frankie and Draculaura, hurrying off. She had Dead Languages, but she wanted to drop by Heath's Mad Science class first, just to confirm something.

Abbey stood by the door watching Robecca Steam and Heath Burns. Heath was being oddly quiet, eyes glazed over with an emotion Abbey had never seen on Heath. Heath Burns was annoyed, and it didn't take long to find out why.

"Heath, you need to do it this way!" Robecca snapped.

"No, the book says..."

"The book is wrong! I think I know more these materials than you do!"

"Shut up will you? I'm trying to think." Heath said, picking up something small and round. He turned to face the door and saw Abbey watching them, causing whatever he was holding to go up in flames.

"Now look what you did!" Robecca cried, trying to salvage the smoldering material. Unfortunately, a flame had gotten on a blue highlight of her hair, making her drop the material and shriek.

"Why did I even pick you for my partner?" she exclaimed, patting out the miniature fire on her hair.

"Cuz I'm irresistible?" Heath joked.

"If you did stand up comedy, that'd be hilarious..." Robecca muttered, picking up the material and inspecting it. "You ruined it... NOW we have to start over!".

"Why not just replace it?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Because the book says we need to use silver, copper or aluminum!" she spat, pointing to the bulky textbook in front of them both.

"Easy." Heath laughed. "All we need is a blowtorch.".

"What are you...?" Robecca started only to glare at Heath as he started pointing to the hem of her dress.

"Not funny!" she shrieked, before sighing deeply. "If Spectra was right about some ghoul having a crush on you, I hope she can handle your stupid attitude."

Abbey beamed.

So Robecca WASN'T crushing on Heath! Her friends were wrong...

But wait...

If it wasn't Robecca...

Who else could be crushing on him? Abbey had kept her feelings for Heath hidden. She hadn't even told her best friends. If Spectra had news on someone crushing on Heath, Abbey needed to know. Hurrying towards Dead Languages, Abbey pulled out her iCoffin, begging for an update on the ghostly gossip and hating what prom was doing to her. Abbey was becoming everything she was against, all to find out who was crushing on who.

~XoXo~

Prom was within a week and every ghoul in school now had a date!

Frankie was with Jackson, Clawd and Draculaura, Lagoona and Gil, Clawdeen and Toralei, Spectra and some new guy named Billy, Rochelle was with Deuce, Operetta, Robecca and Venus had all hitched dates with some vamps from Belfry Prep, Cleo got some wolf from Crescent Moon High, Ghoulia with Slow-Moe and Cupid was with Kipling.

Abbey now realized she had no chance. She sat alone in the creepateria that day, thinking about all her friends having fun at prom while she stayed home alone. She was about to leave without eating when Heath Burns joined her.

"Hey ba- I mean Abbey,"

"You remember name." Abbey said. She was always confused as to why Heath always confused 'Abbey' with 'Baby'. Heath laughed, although. Abbey didn't know what was funny.

"Abbey, I'm just gonna be really direct...you like that right? Anyway... Do you have a prom date?"

"Abbey is not interested in such things" she lied. As of late, Abbey wanted nothing more than to go to her senior prom.

"I guess I can take that as a no...I don't have a date either and I know you wanted to go with someone you really like...I wanted to too, but given the circumstances..." Heath trailed off.

"You want go with Abbey" she finished. Heath nodded.

"We can pretend like it means a lot...only we would know the truth. Besides, it's just one dance. We don't have to start dating or anything."

"Abbey will pretend with you. Only because I want go and experience this 'sparking bolts' Frankie is so excited for." Abbey smiled lightly and Heath got a goofy grin on his face.

"Awesome...I mean, I know it's just pretend, but awesome!" Heath leapt from the table and joined Deuce and Jackson.

"Just pretend..." Abbey whispered as the iCoffins of students everywhere beeped in a gossip update. Within seconds, the ghouls were surrounding Abbey, waving their phones everywhere.

"Is it true?" Frankie asked.

"Is this why you were so snappy?" Clawdeen thrust her phone into Abbey's face and Abbey nearly screamed. The new headline read:

**ABBEY AND HEATH SPOTTED SHARING A ROMANTIC LUNCH WHILE DISCUSSING PROM. LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT THE SECRET ADMIRER! JUST HOW LONG WILL THEY LAST BEFORE ABBEY'S HEART GOES COLD?**

She wanted to faint. She wanted to throw Clawdeen's phone across the creepateria and burst into frozen tears. She also wanted to just shrug it off. But instead Abbey stiffened her lip, left her table and exited the creepateria in search of the ghoul who had just ruined a friendship...

~XoXo~

Abbey quickly got lucky to find Spectra in her usual 'hiding' place, the old janitor's office she had converted into a mini wifi network.

"Hey Abbey!" Spectra beamed, looking up from her laptop. "I should've known all along you were crushing on Heath!" Hands on her hips, Abbey raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Spectra shrugged.

"What makes you think you post secret about me?" the frozen female spat. "Did you not think to ask?" Eyes wide, Spectra had looked like Abbey had just hit her with her powers.

"What... Abbey, I never ask anyone about..." she started, only to be interrupted.

"Exactly!" Abbey spat, slamming a hand down on Spectra's desk. "Is wrong to post secrets about monsters!" Spectra remained frozen while Abbey kept ranting.

"Spectra, me and ghouls are your friends. Why did you not ask ME?" The ghost girl's jaw dropped from before she nearly squealed.

"Wait a second, so... you crushing on Heath IS true?" Spectra smiled. "I honestly just predicted." Lip stiffened, Abbey nodded.

"Well, you should not post these 'predictions' without asking first." she spat, turning away from her friend. "Is wrong." Abbey left the office but before she exited, she turned to face Spectra.

"Is all pretend. Heath said it himself. Is only...pretend." Slamming the door behind her, frozen tears started to well up in her eyes as Abbey headed for her next class of Geology with no problems...

But no such luck.

The second she reached the middle of the hall her friends bombarded her with their phone screens aglow. Abbey pulled out her iCoffin but didn't see any new stories on the gossip.

"What everyone interested in?" Abbey asked Lagoona.

"Heath Burns posted a video online. Everyone is talking about it."

Abbey raised an eyebrow.

What could be so important about Heath that EVERYONE had to see it?

"What is in video?" Abbey asked Lagoona.

"He's talking about prom and how amazing his date is. He never mentions any names though,"

Abbey's eyes widened.

"Prom date?" she asked, jaw close to dropping. SHE was Heath's date to prom... right?

"Yeah." Frankie said, not taking her eyes off her phone screen. "Must be some ghoul."

"I'm really sorry mate...I know you were crushing on him and everything" Lagoona said. Abbey shook her head.

"Not crushing. Spectra no know full story. Abbey was just talking to Heath about prom."

"Did he mention who he's going with?" Frankie asked.

"Scarah Screams was bragging about her prom date...maybe she's going with him." Clawdeen said as she filed her nails.

"Nope." Spectra replied, floating through the wall, not making eye contact with Abbey. "She's going with Manny.".

"As in Taur?" Draculaura giggled.

"They're secretly dating..." Spectra said with a wink, before vanishing, like usual.

"Shocker." Lagoona murmured. "I had thought he liked her."

"Can Abbey see video?" Abbey asked. Lagoona passed her phone over and played the video. Abbey watched as Heath joked around for a while before getting into the description of his date.

"Anyway, she's sort of..." Heath thought for a moment. "Bitter. But caring, too. Smart... pretty..."

"It's so sweet!" Frankie gushed. "Who would've thought? Heath Burns bragging about a ghoul like that?".

"Wonder who it is..." Clawdeen questioned. "Is it someone we know?"

"Is..." Abbey began, but quickly shut her mouth. Her date with Heath was all pretend, so there was no point in telling her friends. They would just blow everything out of proportion.

"It's who?" Draculaura asked as Clawd joined them, followed by Deuce, Rochelle, and a very angry Cleo.

"Who are we talking about?" Deuce asked, putting an arm around Rochelle. Cleo glared at them and leaned against her chair, stealing Clawdeen's nail file and filing her nails angrily.

"Heath's prom date," Lagoona said.

"Oh, I know who it is. He told my yesterday," Clawd said. "He wanted some advice,"

"Who is it?" the ghouls asked in unison.

"From what I heard, it's..." he was drowned out by the final bell."I'll tell you guys later." he said with a smile.

"Please!" Draculaura begged, clinging onto her boyfriend's arm. Clawd could NEVER say no to her.

"It's Abbey," he said quietly.

"Abbey?" Draculaura shouted, causing the heads of everyone in the room to turn and face the frozen ghoul. Abbey felt her frozen cheeks flush and she ran from the room, not ready to face her friends. Unfortunately, it was the full moon and Clawdeen was faster than usual. She caught up in no time.

"Hold it, why didn't you tell us?" she asked.

"Because is not real." Abbey said, frozen tears spilling down her face. "Abbey want badly for it to be real, but Heath say it is pretend. He just want date to stupid dance. He don't love Abbey," Abbey wiped her tears and ran, but this time her friends knew better than to follow.

~XoXo~

Abbey stood by the punch bowl at prom, watching as Heath flirted with different girls. She sneered at the sight, but deep down, she wanted to cry.

It wasn't fair.

All of her friends were having a great time, while she, like at most school dances, ended up on the sidelines, all alone. Heath joined her after being rejected by yet another ghoul.

"Hey baby, having fun?"

"Is not baby. Is Abbey. And no, Abbey is having the time that is boring." Abbey turned away and Heath started laughing.

"Your way of speaking is so cute. That's one of the reasons I love you."

Time stopped for Abbey. Heath's eyes went wide and he began stammering.

"I...I mean...well...it's just..."

"You lie to Abbey. You tell Abbey is all fake. Now you tell Abbey you love her. You is playing with Abbey." Abbey began to leave the dance, not wanting to be played. She knew girls in her village that had been played, and those girls had been miserable.

"Abbey! Abbey, come on!" Heath laughed, watching as she walked away. "Oh, come on!"

Running after her, he placed a hot hand on her cold shoulder, making Abbey hiss in pain. Heat was foreign to her body and at the current temperature Heath was at, it had felt like someone had placed a flaming match on her skin.

Slapping his hand away, she turned to him.

"Do not waste time with me." she started. "I know is all pretend. Do not play games. I may come from mountain top, but I know many ways of boys like you."

"Abbey, you don't know me at all. It's not pretend! It was never pretend. I. Said it was so you would come with me, but I do love you, and I want to be here with you, and I would love it if you came back to the dance as my official prom date"

"Is no pretend?" Abbey asked. Heath shook his head.

"It's real,"

"You not playing Abbey?"

"No, I'm not playing you."

"Then Abbey will go with you. Only, you must not do the flirting with other ghouls. It hurt Abbey."

"Abbey, really, I'm sorry... It's just... I didn't know you felt the same way." Heath stammered. "You seemed, so, well... cold and I..." he sighed."I didn't know you would be into a show-off like me."

"Abbey like Heath because he is show off." she said with a slight giggle. Heath perked up and extended his hand. Abbey held back for a moment but slowly extended her hand towards his, allowing him to take her hand. There was a spasm of warmth that shot through her arm and Abbey beamed.

The two walked back into the dance, Heath wrapping an arm around Abbey's waist. When they got back to the door, Spectra swooped in front of them.

"Ohhh a hot new story for my blog!" she trilled.

"How this for hot story?" Abbey asked. She wrapped her hands around Heath's shoulders and pressed her lips against his. Heath didn't hesitate and kissing her back, sliding his hands down and wrapping them around her waist. There was a flash and Spectra squealed with excitement.

Star struck by her sudden move, Heath just stared at her, his golden eyes meeting her purple ones.

"Whoa." he breathed as she let out a chuckle.

Out of her peripheral vision, Abbey saw Spectra snapping photos of other couples and barely focusing on her own date.

"One moment." Abbey said, flashing Heath a smile. Giving her a brief nod, Heath walked off to get a glass of punch while Abbey made her way over to Spectra. Clearing her throat loudly, Abbey frowned when Spectra turned her away.

"Thanks for the story." the ghost girl beamed, still fiddling with her phone.

"Spectra, what I said last week, it was wrong." Abbey frowned. "I did not mean to...".

"I get it." Spectra said, looking up from her phone with a smile. "I'm sorry for not asking you.".

"But you were just doing your 'hobby'. I did not mean to make you feel bad. But when you assumed Heath and I...".

"Journalists need to work harder in finding the facts before we post the story." Spectra said with a smirk. "Besides. It's true now." Abbey smiled.

"Yes. Is very true... All forgiven?"

"Of course."

"Oh, and your date should be missing you," Abbey said. Spectra's eyes widened.

"Oh my ghoul I totally forgot about Billy!" she cried, swooping into the crowd of people. Abbey smiled and headed into the crowd to find Heath. On her way in, she bumped into Frankie and Jackson. They were both looking at their phones in excitement and confusion.

"Abbey!" Jackson said when he noticed the ghoul.

"Abbey, I thought it was all pretend!" Frankie cried, holding out the phone where a picture of Heath and Abbey's kiss filled the screen.

"Is no pretend," Abbey said with a smile. "Is real." She turned to see Heath holding out a cup of punch. Frankie gave her a slight push.

"Go to him. You guys are shockingly adorable. Besides, you still need to have your _real_ prom night." Frankie took Jackson's hand and they headed back onto the dance floor, leaving Heath and Abbey alone.

"Ready for the time of your life?" Heath asked. Abbey nodded.

"As long as its not pretend," she said. Heath leaned down and kissed her lips quickly.

"I promise, it's _not_ pretend."


End file.
